Home entertainment. Video/stereo.

Companies Serving Up Tasty Satellite Dish Packages

June 10, 1994|By Rich Warren.

This column comes to you from 23,000 miles above the equator. That's where the geosynchronous DBS-I satellite hovers. DBS-I, and its companion DBS-II, to be launched this summer, will beam down to your home the first digital (although not high definition) TV pictures, with near CD quality sound, receivable on a miniature dish. We parked in this orbit a couple of months ago when discussing the ins and outs of digital hardware. Now we launch into a discussion of a particular part of the digital realm, DSS, short for Digital Satellite System.

Three players collaborate to bring you the best TV pictures this side of high definition television. GM Hughes Electronics built the DSS satellite and launched it on a French Ariane rocket. Hughes subsidiary, DIRECTv built the uplink facility in Colorado and is one of the two DSS program suppliers. USSB built its uplink facility in Minnesota. RCA, a subsidiary of Thomson Consumer Electronics, designed, manufactures and distributes the DSS receivers and 18-inch dishes. USSB (United States Satellite Broadcasting), a division of Hubbard Broadcasting, also sells DSS programming. RCA will bundle USSB trial programming subscriptions with the sale of the hardware. After 18-months, or when RCA sells one million units, Sony will also begin selling DSS receivers. You can receive DSS signals on such a small dish because the Hughes DBS satellites transmit with much higher power than the already existing C and Ku band satellites that require those jumbo dishes.

A few areas of the country will begin enjoying the 75 channels of DSS this summer. It will light up Chicago-area TV sets this fall, ultimately expanding to 175 channels. Engineers continue fine-tuning and improving the system, with promises of near perfection by Christmas. RCA plans to sell the receiver/antenna at Sears Brand Central, Circuit City and a few other select retailers. Some traditional satellite dish dealers may also sell DSS.

The basic hardware package costs $700. A fancier version with sturdier antenna and more versatile receiver costs $850. You can buy programming packages through your dealer, or subscribe direct by calling USSB at 1-800-204-USSB-(8772), or DIRECTv at 1-800-347-3288. Dealers may opt to offer packages from only a single company, so it's best to call the 800 number of the other supplier for comparison shopping. Prices will be slightly less than comparable cable packages.

If all you want to do is watch hit movies, you pay only a nominal monthly fee, and select the movies on a pay-per-view basis. Because there are 40 to 50 pay-per-view channels, movies will begin as often as every half hour. That beats the local multiplex.

The on-screen programming guide makes picking programs and movies as simple as pressing a button on the supplied wireless remote control. The on-screen guide resembles the grid found in newspapers, but you can zoom in on special areas of interest and future programming.

USSB offers a variety of pay packages. Its six "Hand-Picked Essentials," MTV, VH-1, Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite, Comedy Central, Lifetime, and the All News Channel, cost $8 per month. USSB also offers a choice of 14 premium movie services, which include all of the HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Movie Channel and FLIX channels for $35. The five channels of HBO or three channels of Showtime cost $11 a month. USSB promises additional free advertiser-supported programming. When you compare these prices with most cable rates they look like a bargain.

DIRECTv offers competitive packages, although it's weaker in the package movie area. If you want CNN, A&E, the Disney Channel, ESPN and a score more, sign up with DIRECTv. Its prices are in the same range as USSB's offerings. It has also inked deals with Columbia, Miramax, Paramount, Sony, Touchstone, TriStar, Turner MGM, Universal, Disney and Warner Brothers for pay-per-view movie rights. You can, of course, buy packages from both USSB and DIRECTv.

RCA forgot to include scissors with the DSS receiver. You'll want them to cut your cable.